Twenty-Nine

Washington D.C. – Dan's Café

Natasha stepped through the door and did a quick scan of the environment. If she had to categorized this place, she would say it was a shithole, but in a good way. Someone had put money in the jukebox.

Bill Withers - Use Me came on. A shithole with interesting music, she reconsidered.

Dan's was located in the Adam Morgan neighborhood in northwest DC. The bar smelled, the floor was sticky, and it was very likely that several drinks had already been spilled on the uneven pool table. It was a dive bar and its claim to fame was something called "The Setup" which consisted of a plastic ketchup bottle of liquor, a can of soda, and a bucket of ice, all for just $14.

Nick hadn't touched his can of Coke.

Wearing black jeans, boots, grey hoodie and thigh length brown coat, she moved with confidence towards one of the back booths. Nick Fury looked up with his one good eye and watched her approach, before downing his shot. She quietly slipped into the booth across from him and pushed down her hoodie.

"Not exactly The Metropolitan Club, eh, Nick?" She commented with a small smirk.

"You don't need a membership here,' he replied.

"Oh, yeah?' She said, looking around them at the few other patrons. "What do you need here?'

"14 bucks," he said, holding up a twenty. In the next moment a staff member brought over "The Setup" and placed it in front of Natasha. "Keep the change."

"I like a man that tips, it shows character," Natasha offered.

"Don't go out if you aren't going to tip," Nick replied. "It's just good manners. I don't trust people that don't tip."

Natasha thought of saying he didn't trust anybody, but kept it to herself. She eyed set up in front of her for a moment, before tentatively squeezing the ketchup bottle and filling the plastic shot glass. Giving it a sniff, she looked at him.

"Vodka?'

He nodded, while sipping his own shot. She took a sip and a confused look came over her features. She took a bigger sip.

"Jewel Of Russia Ultra Black Vodka," she commented with a smirk. "You know it's almost sacrilege to put something this good in a plastic squeeze bottle."

"I have a feeling you'll get over it,' he replied. "Try the fries."

She did. They were still hot, greasy and delicious. As she helped herself to more, he refilled his plastic shot glass with something caramel color, which she guessed was Johnny Walker Black. She followed suit and refilled her own. Downing it in one, she topped it off again and then popped open the can of Orange Crush. Sitting back and taking a sip she eyed Fury.

"So, I'm heading out to pick up Clint in a little while' she said. "I doubt you called me just to have a drink."

"No," he replied with a shake of his head. "I have a bit of an assignment for you, but this is just between you and me, Natasha."

That got her attention.

"Why?"

"Because of what it might mean," he replied.

"And that is?" she asked.

"It means the glitch in the system isn't a glitch at all."

"Again, for those of us not inside your head and already understanding what you're talking about,' Natasha said, not wanting to parse out what he was saying.

"You know I don't think being a smart ass is a learned behavior, Romanoff,' he replied with a smile. "I think it's always been hardwired into you."

"Yeah, maybe,' she replied with a small smile of her own.

"I'm talking about a feeling,' Nick explained. "That sense that something isn't right, like a shadow that mirrors your every movement, yet out of the corner of your eye you see little slips, glitches that break illusion. Almost like a parallel state mirroring the one we see. I've been sensing SHIELD may one of those shadows inside it for a while. A group working for SHIELD, but loyal to something else."

"You have a specific group or organization behind it?" she asked, leaning forward with her elbows on the table.

"Not yet, but I'm paranoid, as we both know," Fury replied. "It's just those little glitches that keep popping up. With INSIGHT launching soon, I want to be sure."

"INSIGHT? Natasha said, feinting a lack of knowledge.

That made Fury smile.

"Romanoff, don't even try it,' he said with a laugh. "it's too big a secret for you not to want to know. We both know when you want to know something, you usually find a way."

"I may have heard something," she reluctantly admitted.

"Don't try and bullshit a bullshitter, Natasha," He replied. "You and I are alike in this regard; we like information and we don't have any qualms about getting it."

"Helicarriers,' she flatly said. "Next generation, with all the bells and whistles."

"And once they go up, they don't come down," Nick added. "That's the part that keeps me up at night. With that kind of firepower, I want to make sure they stay in the right hands, ours."

"So, what do you want me to do?'

"I want you to quietly look into this,' Nick said. "Just you for now, reporting directly to me."

"Why?"

"Because if I'm right, we don't know who could be involved,' Nick explained. "With Insight launching soon, I don't like trusting anything to chance."

"You don't like trusting anyone or anything, Nick,' Natasha replied, downing her shot.

"I lost an eye the last time I trusted someone,' he replied.

Natasha smiled.

"That's a good line, but I've heard you use it before,' she said. "Not buying it."

"Then just believe I don't like the idea something is going on I don't know about,' he offered.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Put together a list of those who have access, on any level and discretely check them out," he said. "I'll do the same on my end and let you know."

"All right,' she said. "These glitches you keep talking about, is there any chatter around them? What have you heard?"

"Not even chatter, really," he admitted. "There's another piece to all of this. It's what makes this so vital. I heard something, not chatter or gossip, but more of a of a whisper, but a very, very frightening whisper."

"What?"

"Someone very dangerous has been sent for and is coming,' Fury bluntly said.

"Who?'

"The Winter Soldier."

A shudder went through Natasha's body as she sat back and just looked at Nick. Absently her hand moved down towards the scar on her abdomen. Few things made her uneasy, but the Winter Soldier was one of them.

New York - Later

Clint's bag was packed and he was sitting in the main lounge area waiting for Natasha. While he had been waiting, Bruce had come in and sat down to chat. That was okay with Clint, as he kind of liked Bruce. He also had a feeling Bruce wouldn't mind seeing Natasha again. Clint filed that away for another time. Eventually this led Tony to make an appearance. Pepper was out west, so he was bored and lonely. That was never a good combination with Tony. Too much time on his hands tended to stir his demons up a bit. The next thing Clint knew drinks were being poured and consumed. He wasn't piloting the transport tonight, so he reluctantly agreed. Alcohol wasn't his thing. There was a history with it in the family and not a good history. He drank if the situation called for it, but it wasn't his first choice. Stark insisted and made the situation call for it. Bruce joined in, but only just.

"So, Natasha's picking you up?" Tony asked innocently, but with a leading smirk.

"Yeah,' Clint replied.

"You two are close,' Bruce observed.

"We are,' Clint admitted.

That was just the opening Tony needed.

"How close is the question?' Tony asked with a knowing smile.

"Tony, behave,' Bruce instructed him.

"We're all adults her, Bruce, men of the world," Tony casually replied. "Just having a few drinks, shooting the shit and getting to know each other a bit better."

Bruce looked at him for a moment before shaking his head.

"Yeah, I'm not buying that," he finally said.

Clint laughed at this.

"You're no fun,' Tony moaned and then immediately turned his attention back to Clint. "So, we were talking about how close you and Red are? Spill and don't forget details."

"We've been partners for years, Tony, we are as close as you can get,' Clint honestly replied. Part on him was used to this. Natasha tended to invite speculation and most were too intimidated or afraid to approach her with the questions, so they always asked Clint about her. He would never give any of her secrets away, but it was common knowledge they were close.

"She's a beautiful woman,' Tony observed.

"She is,' Clint agreed. Even Bruce nodded readily at the statement. Clint made a note of that too.

"All those years being close with a beautiful woman like Natasha makes me wonder just how close you two really are?" Tony said with a sly smile.

Clint just smiled at him.

"If I was being too obtuse, I meant are you sleeping together?" Tony added after a moment.

"Tony!" Bruce complained.

"It's already, Bruce,' Clint said with a sad smile. "And you weren't being obtuse, Tony, I got what you were going for."

"So, what's the answer?"

Clint could have lied or just blown Tony off, but they were teammates and somewhat friends. There was also the fact that the question had been asked many times before. She deserved more than someone thinking she was just his girlfriend.

"That was never our thing, Tony," Clint finally replied. "I know this is a new concept for you, but you can be friends with a beautiful woman and not be sleeping with them. I would bring up how many years you pinned away over Pepper without sleeping with her, but you were sleeping with lots of other women at the same time."

Bruce laughed at this and Tony, to his credit, didn't flinch at the remark.

"And he hits his mark again,' Tony offered and then quickly added,' I am sleeping with her now though. Just so you both know, that is."

"Don't need to be a spy to figure that one out,' Clint laughed.

"Kind of wish she was here now,' Bruce added with a smile.

"Is this a crush I'm hearing, Bruce?' Tony turned to the other man with a smirk. "Pepper's my girl, get your own."

"You're safe,' Bruce said with a smile. "I just meant she seems to have a calming effect on you and your moods."

"Point taken, now let's get back to Romanoff, Clint,' Tony quickly replied to Bruce and then immediately shifted back to Clint. "If she's not sleeping with you or her current partner, we all know she's not sleeping with, what's the deal? Is she into guys? Girls? A bit of column A and B? Column C?"

"How about none of your business?' Clint mildly replied.

"Why the sudden fixation on her sex life?" Bruce asked.

"Well, when she was spying on me it definitely had a honeypot situation vibe coming off of it,' Tony explained. "Just wondering how far it would have gone if Fury hadn't stepped in."

"It wasn't a honeypot situation,' Clint clarified.

"You sure?'

"Very," Clint replied with a nod. "Why is that still bothering you? Is it that she was spying on you or you didn't figure out that she was spying on you?"

Before Tony could answer another voice broke in.

"Stark hates the idea he got played and so thoroughly."

The three turned to see Natasha step from the elevator. Clint noticed immediately she seemed on edge. He was about to go to her, but a slight shake of her head told him to wait.

"The modern-day Mata Hari appears as if by magic! You're like Candyman, say your name three times and you appear," Tony joked, raising his glass. "How's it going, Red?"

"It's been better,' she said, then added, "But leaving will solve that problem."

"Ouch! Shots fired,' Tony said mockingly, putting his hand over his reactor as if stung by her remark.

"Natasha," Bruce quietly said, nodding to her with a smile.

"Bruce," she replied. "Good to see you again."

"You too."

"How about a drink, Romanoff?" Tony offered. "It's like an Avengers reunion and that calls for a drink."

"Sure,' she replied, walking over to the bar and pouring herself three figures of vodka. She took a quick pull on it almost as if steadying her nervous before returning to the others and sitting down next to Clint. She could feel Tony's eyes on her the whole time. He still didn't trust her completely. She also knew he had read all the files he could get on her, which weren't the complete files by a mile. When Stark didn't understand something or someone it troubled him, like a puzzle he couldn't put together. Few things had been denied him in his life either because of fortune or talent, so when something was, he couldn't let it go. Natasha wasn't really in a mood to play to his ego tonight.

"You just going to stare a hole in me, Stark or spit it out,' she said, taking another drink from her glass.

"You're as cold as ice, aren't you?' Tony said with a smirk, but it didn't reach his eyes. "It was all a façade, wasn't it? The shy smile, the come-hither glances and the soft, comforting voice all an illusion. You're good, I've got to say. I didn't see it, even if all the clues were right there in front of me. Then you weren't the first person that got close and fooled me."

"Tony," Bruce said as a warning, seeing this wasn't going in a good direction.

Clint's eyes were on Natasha and hadn't left her since she arrived.

"Nat?' he said.

"We're good, Clint,' she said to him, even offering a reassuring smile that he didn't quite believe.

"You know why you didn't figure it out, Stark?" Natasha asked. "It really is rather simple. It's because you never saw me as a person, another human being. I was just an idea to you. Who I was, my thoughts, hopes, desires, didn't matter to you at all. All that mattered was what you wanted and could get out of the connection to me. You made it easy, Tony. I played the pretty, slightly mysterious ingenue. You couldn't figure me out and so you were interested."

There was a tense moment as Natasha just stared at Stark and he stared back. Clint and Bruce could both feel the tension in the room between the two, but before they could do anything to stop it, Tony continued.

"Bravo,' he said, slowly clapping his hands. "They trained you well in the Red Room, didn't they?"

"Tony! Stop." Clint said as a warning, but Natasha put her hand on his arm to stop him.

"Let him have his say, Clint," She calmly offered, never taking her eyes off Stark. Clint wasn't sure that was such a good idea, but it was her play and he would back it.

"Maybe we all need to take a step back and call it a night,' Bruce offered.

"That wasn't fair of me to bring that up, I apologize, Natasha,' Tony finally said.

"Accepted,' she replied and took another swallow from her drink, finishing it and setting the glass down. She had study Stark before going undercover at SI, so she knew he wouldn't be able to let it go.

"That wasn't something you had a choice over,' Tony continued. "I can't hold something you had no choice over against you."

He paused, taking another drink and then continued.

"But now you work for SHIELD and Fury," he began. "That's something you did have a choice over. You are one of Fury's top spies and that comes with lying and duplicity. So, I ask you how can anyone every fully believe anything you say?"

"You can't." She replied.

"That's what I thought,' he softly said. "SHIELD. An organization of spies that I just recently learned my father helped to create. That's something else he didn't feel the need to tell me."

"When was he supposed to tell you, Tony?' Natasha asked. "I'm not trying to be cruel her, but I'm curious when you think that should have happened?'

"Some time before he died,' Tony replied. "And don't worry about hurting me feelings, people closer to me than you have already done that. I've learned to take it."

"Sure, you have,' Natasha could help saying with a smirk.

"You don't think I can?' Tony asked, some of the bravado coming back into his voice. "I see you now, Romanoff, for who you are. Give it your best shot."

There was an obvious challenge in his statement and demeanor. Usually, Natasha would have let it go, but the mood she was in tonight she wasn't going to back down from a direct challenge.

"I caught your act with Fury after you nearly destroyed you house, remember?" She said.

"Yes," he replied. "That's old news.'

"Is it?' she asked, "Really?"

"Yes."

"So, you figured out all your daddy issues, have you?" Natasha said. "I don't think so."

"Just because he said I was his greatest creation in some old film, doesn't change things in the long run, Romanoff," Tony said in his defense. "What I said to Fury that day about my father still stands. He was cold, he didn't tell me he loved me, never even told me he liked me and the happiest day for him was when he sent me off to boarding school."

Clint and Bruce just sat and watched their exchange nervously, yet they were fascinated by it too.

"Please!" Natasha scoffed. "You make it sound like you were Oliver Twist and he set you off to live with Fagin. You went to Phillips Exeter, Choate Rosemary Hall and St. Albans. They are the most elite prep schools in the country. That's what the rich, ruling class do for their kids. You were insanely smart and your parents sent you to the best schools and programs in the country. I did my research on you before I went undercover, remember? Your old man grew up poor, a nobody and he made sure you didn't grow up that way. You are one of those elites those prep schools make their names from, Tony."

Tony started to object but she cut him off.

"As far as your dad telling you about his involvement with SHIELD, come on!" Natasha snarked. "You were what, twenty, when he died? When exactly was he supposed to sit you down and tell you that? Right after he got you out of jail for drunk driving when you were seventeen?"

Tony was clearly on the defense, but he wasn't giving in.

"Okay, yeah, I'll give you your point on SHEILD," he stated. "You're also right about the schools. Dad gave me everything money could buy, everything except the one thing I needed a father. He was a cold, distant figure to me growing up. I don't remember him doing anything but yelling at me as a kid. So yeah, I've still got some issues with dear old DAD!"

A quiet came over the room after Tony's outburst. Natasha waited a moment, still holding Tony's eyes when she asked her next question in a soft, gentle voice.

"Did he hit you? Was he physically abusive to you or just distant?"

That caught Tony off guard.

"What? No, of course not! He never hit me! He wasn't like that!" he exclaimed.

A long moment passed as Tony stared in shock at Natasha.

"Then you were lucky," Clint quietly said.

"Yeah, you were,' Bruce solemnly agreed.

"What? What are you two talking about?' Tony asked them in confusion.

"My old man used to drink and he was a mean drunk," Clint said, looking down at his hands. "He used to take it out on my younger brother and me, or our mother when she tried to protect us. He was drunk when he killed her in a car accident. He died too, so something good came out of it."

Tony just stared at Clint for a moment, then Bruce spoke up.

"My father actually told me to my face when I was a child he hated me," Bruce said, barely above a whisper. "He never wanted kids and blamed me and even more blamed my mother. He killed her because of it. He went to jail and I was shipped off to relatives. He died in jail. I hope he's rotting in hell now, if there is one, which I don't think there is."

Tony could only look in shook at Bruce. The evening had taken a turn even Natasha hadn't seen coming. She knew about Clint's upbringing but he never liked to talk about it. It was one of the subjects they didn't discuss. Bruce's revelation was new information. She had read the packet on him, but that had just dealt with the HULK. It brought into new context his comment during the fight in New York about 'always being angry."

"Maybe we should call it a night,' Natasha finally, gently said. "I think we could all use a break."

"Yeah, yeah, I think we opened enough old wounds for now,' Tony added, picking up on the direction Natasha was heading. "Maybe we all need to let go of some of the past."

Bruce nodded but was already heading towards his room. Clint was up a moment later, grabbing his bag and heading towards the elevator.

"We got a plane to catch, Nat,' he said, never turning around. "Always interesting around you Tony. I'll see you."

Natasha gave Tony a look and then moved over to take the elevator with Clint. As the doors closed, she saw Tony still sitting on the couch deep in thought.

On the way to Washington DC

It had been a very quiet flight. Clint absently checked his arrows again and again. Natasha was exhausted. She hadn't planned on the confrontation with Stark, but after the news from Fury earlier she had been on edge. She was still on edge and curled up in one of the seats, deep in thought just staring out the window at the darkness.

About an hour in, she felt Clint get up and moved over to sit down next to her. He didn't say anything at first, but gently nudged her leg with his knee.

"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?' He finally asked. He knew the moment he saw her at the Tower something was wrong. Her unnatural stillness since they got on the plane told him something was extremely wrong.

"Natasha," He softly said, growing more concerned by the moment. "What is is?"

"He's coming." She finally whispered.

It's a simple and straightforward statement but just brought more questions to his mind. He settled on the simplest.

"Who?'

He didn't remember the last time he saw her this rattled. A million questions flashed through his mind, but he waited. He felt protective over her and wanted to stop whoever could make her react this way. Still he waited, giving her time to answer. Finally, she took a deep breath and said the name.

"The Winter Soldier."